Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg STRIPPED of Marseille captaincy after rejecting Newcastle move despite £15m deal being agreed between the clubs | Goal.com US

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has faced immediate disciplinary action at Marseille after blocking a lucrative return to the Premier League. The Danish midfielder has been stripped of the club captaincy following his refusal to join Newcastle United, despite a formal transfer agreement being reached between the two teams.

The fallout from Hojbjerg's decision to reject a move to Newcastle United has been swift and severe at the Orange Velodrome. Despite Marseille and Newcastle reaching a total agreement for a £15 million transfer, the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder opted for an abrupt U-turn that has left the French club's hierarchy fuming.

The 31-year-old had expressed a desire to remain in the south of France, but his refusal to facilitate a move that would have significantly aided Marseille's financial situation has resulted in him losing the leadership role within the squad.

Evidence of his demotion was clear during Friday's friendly fixture against Atletico Madrid, where the team sheet confirmed a change in leadership. Hojbjerg was included in the starting line-up by manager Bruno Genesio, but the captain's armband was instead handed to United States international Timothy Weah.

Genesio also revealed that the decision was made by the club's management and admitted he did not agree with it, saying: "I'll be completely frank, it's a decision by the management that I do not share."

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